The present invention relates to the field of furniture and furniture construction, more particularly to the construction of flexible seat bases for sofas, couches and the like.
Luxury chairs, sofas, and loveseats are well known in the art and have become a mainstay in many households. These types of furniture typically comprise a wood or metal frame defining a main seating area, an upright portion for cushioning a user""s back, and two armrests. A plurality of sinuous wires typically extend across the main seating area upon which a seat cushion is positioned for providing a cushioning and comfortable seating area. In particular, sinuous wires allow the main seating area to flex and thus shape to the form of the user sitting in the chair.
In one conventional design, the main seating area includes a pair of angle irons secured to the wood frame for attaching the sinuous wires. In particular, the angle irons define slots for receiving clips that include a hook portion on one end for engaging the sinuous wires. In operation, each clip is slidably mounted through one of the slots in the angle iron, and the wires are then stretched over the hook of the remaining end of the clip such that the clip is put in a state of tension. This state of tension secures the sinuous wires across the main seating area. The clips, however, are susceptible to becoming dislodged from the slots, especially if upward tension is applied to the wires and the clips by lifting the seat from the bottom.
Another conventional design provides a plurality of metal clips that attach to the wood frame of the main seating area. The clips are individually attached to the wood frame by screws, nails, or integrated anchor tangs extending from the clip. However, each clip must be aligned in relation to the other clips and secured to the frame, which increases assembly time. Moreover, the clips are usually cut from a larger piece of metal, which increases manufacturing costs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,285 to West discloses a structurally reinforced furniture frame for a sofa or a chair. The furniture is reinforced using a metallic frame which provides a rigid frame and supports the spring decking upon which furniture cushions rest. The individual springs that comprise the spring decking are attached to a plurality of elongated hooks. The elongated hooks are formed by punching thin gauge metallic material to form spaced 1 inch protrusions and then welding the metallic material to the metallic frame.
It would be desirable to have a reinforcing frame that is easily constructed and provides for the quick and firm attachment of springs to form a support for articles of furniture and furniture cushioning.
The present invention addresses the above needs and achieves other advantages by providing a rail clip, comprising an elongated rail that supports a plurality of hooks configured to hold a plurality of springs in a seat base, wherein the rail and hooks are constructed from a single metal piece, also referred to herein as a monolithic construction. The monolithic construction of the rail clip allows for the quick installation of the hooks in the seat base by eliminating the need to position and attach each hook individually. In addition, the hooks are configured to firmly receive and hold the plurality of springs during everyday repetitive loading and unloading of the furniture seat.
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a seat base having a pair of rail clips installed therein. The seat base includes a frame that has a first frame member spaced apart from a second frame member. The seat base also includes a first elongate rail attached to the first frame member and a second elongate rail attached to the second frame member. Spaced along each elongate rail is a plurality of hooks that are integrally formed on the elongate rail. The seat base further includes a plurality of springs each having first and second ends. The first end of each spring is attached to one of the integrated hooks on the first elongate rail, while the second end of the spring is attached to one of the integrated hooks on the second elongate rail. The springs are attached so that they stretch between the opposing first and second members to define a resilient structure for supporting the furniture seat, wherein each elongate rail and the hooks formed thereon comprise a monolithic structure formed from a single piece of material.
The plurality of hooks can be spaced at intervals along each elongate rail such that the attached springs are spaced at equidistant intervals. Spacing the springs at equidistant intervals provides uniform support for a furniture seat placed thereon. In another aspect, noise suppressing material (e.g., a tape) can be applied to the spring-engaging surfaces of each of the integrated hooks. The noise suppressing material reduces the squeaking that occurs due to relative motion of the spring and hooks during loading and unloading of the seat base.
Preferably, the rail clip is constructed from an elongate rail formed of a metal sheet. A plurality of tabs are cut or otherwise formed from the metal sheet and extend from one longitudinal edge of the rail. The tabs comprise integral extensions of the metal sheet spaced apart along the edge of the rail. The hooks are formed by bending the tabs out of the plane of the elongate rail. Each hook is configured to receive and firmly hold an end of a wire spring.
The furniture seat and rail clip of the present invention has several advantages. The hooks and the rail comprise a monolithic structure formed from a single piece of material, eliminating the step of assembling the rail clip before installation. In addition, the integral construction of the hooks eliminates the need to install and space each hook individually along the rail clip, or the frame of the seat base. The hooks have greater strength and are not susceptible to being dislodged and falling out like some conventional hooks, even when the seat is picked up from below. Once installed in the seat base, the rail clip provides additional reinforcement to the frame resulting in a more rigid seat base. Alternatively, the additional reinforcement provided by the rail clip can allow a reduction in thickness of the wood parts of the seat base without sacrificing strength.